Xbox Double nat issue through CGNAT

[MicraMan]

Hi all,

 

i have put up with this issue for some time now and can still live with it however can make things awkward sometimes..... I use an EE 5g router due to the nature of my location is in the middle of nowhere and the best wired connection i can get is 2mbs (no chance lol). I was looking at alternatives like starlink however upon further research i believe the same issue may reappear i am unsure if this is for certain. i was hoping by this post a solution to my dilemma may exist. i have considered about purchasing a router that allows for an embedded vpn however i am unsure how the latency maybe or if it will hinder the current download speed of 100mbs. Thanks in advance.

 

kind regards

[Davit2005]

We have students living on site who face NAT issues notably with xbox and switch.

 

For us we can give them a public IP but not ideal.

Edited March 27 by Davit2005

[MicraMan]

37 minutes ago, Davit2005 said:

We have students living on site who face NAT issues notably with xbox and switch.

 

For us we can give them a public IP but not ideal.

see thats where my issue come into play as i have very limited controll of my network due to EE's infastructure.....

[Davit2005]

34 minutes ago, MicraMan said:

see thats where my issue come into play as i have very limited controll of my network due to EE's infastructure.....

It is jus one of those things, IPv4 addresses are running out, NAT/CGNAT is a solution to make the most of what we have.

 

If you run a business you could potentially get a static IP even on mobile networks.

Edited March 27 by Davit2005

[FN-GM]

Could you VPN out to another location? Might also mean a new router is in order.

[PaddyNewman]

What do you struggle with? I am starlink due to location and game a lot behind that, ive never had issues in games, voice or anything, pc or xbox. 

 

I would say its proper worth it if you need to game. 

[MicraMan]

On 29/03/2026 at 07:40, FN-GM said:

Could you VPN out to another location? Might also mean a new router is in order.

i would believe i need a new router due to no native capability on this one.....

[MicraMan]

21 hours ago, PaddyNewman said:

What do you struggle with? I am starlink due to location and game a lot behind that, ive never had issues in games, voice or anything, pc or xbox. 

 

I would say its proper worth it if you need to game. 

currently i receive double nat due to CGnat on the 5G network which cause xbox serveral issues with communication and certain games as well when i was doing my research i found out starlink utilises CGNAT as well and thought the issue may still be there......

[PaddyNewman]

2 minutes ago, MicraMan said:

currently i receive double nat due to CGnat on the 5G network which cause xbox serveral issues with communication and certain games as well when i was doing my research i found out starlink utilises CGNAT as well and thought the issue may still be there......

 

I've been on Starlink forever, I've had multiple Xboxes at once (playing Rust with friends staying over) and play competitive FPS on PC with zero issues on Starlink. They do it a lot better than mobile providers I feel. I plug my PC direct into the Starlink router with zero problems. That and the 400+ Mbps keep me happy.

Only time I've ever really had issues was when I had my router behind the SL router and was using 10.x which NAT to 192.168 then NAT again to the CGNAT stuff, going via the router direct is clean.

[TomL]

Food for thought when your EE (contract?) is up: 

 

I recently advised an implemented a 'Three' 4G/5G Backup solution for a local business for if their Primary WAN (BT) fails. The primary reason we went with them is you can change the APN to receive a Public IP rather than via CGNAT. Apparently, the Three APN is available for both Business and Personal Customers.

 

It's been working fine for them since August last year. VPN traffic (inbound & outbound), etc works great as well too. 

 

Not (strictly!) helpful given your existing (contract?) w/ EE - but, potentially a viable option for you to explore if/when you're able to leave EE's network (and, of course if you're able to get Three in your area). I anticipate (given the Vodafone/Three merger) that signal is likely to improve in certain areas over time.

Edited March 30 by TomL